Spar For It

~Devonte~

I told you she’d come back. I told you she’d stuck by us.

I wouldn’t be so quick to claim victory if I were you. I overheard her last night, and she isn’t here for the reasons you think she is.

Why can’t you just admit that you were wrong?

I would if I were actually wrong. Unfortunately, I called it accurately, and I can only hope you listen to me before it’s too late. I throw a block up, not wanting to hear the foolishness anymore.

I’ve been up for a while, just watching her sleep. I know that I need to reject Lynn so I can mark Sonya. We have a lot to discuss, but I’m confident we will work things out. She came back! She could have stayed away, but she came back. That tells me everything that I need to know.

I run my fingers down her arm, and she flinches from my touch. Her face contorts, and my initial reaction is sadness and anger. I stop and reevaluate my reaction. She’s asleep, and it’s been an emotional rollercoaster for us the last few days. I’m sure things will be clearer when she’s rested and we talk.

I throw the blankets back and walk to the dresser. I pull out a pair of basketball shorts and a muscle shirt. I need to train this morning and wasted enough time trying to stall. I consider kissing her on the forehead before I go, but I change my mind. I should keep all contact to a minimum until I reject Lynn.

I quietly close the door behind me and make my way down the stairs and out of the packhouse. It doesn’t take me long to get to the training area, and I see I’m not late. No one has started yet; they are stretching and talking amongst themselves.

I smell her walking up behind me, and my body stiffens. I slowly turn and see her walking hand in hand with my brother. He growls at me, and Lynn pats his chest to calm him. I roll my eyes. I’ve never been intimidated by him, and nothing has changed.

Lynn stares at me, and I stare back. I watch her eyes gloss over, and when they refocus, my brother kisses her cheek and walks past us. We continue to stand and look at each other, neither of us seeming to want to talk first. I decide to be the one and take a deep breath. Before I can begin, she speaks, and her voice damn near causes heart palpitations. “I see your ’fiance’ is back.” She uses air quotes when she says the word, and I’m tempted to laugh. I have to remind myself that it’s just the bond, and I need to stay focused.

“Yes, well, she’s my chosen mate, so she wants to be by my side. Speaking of which, we should talk about our bond.” Lynn’s face falls for just a second before she replaces it with a stoic expression.

“What about it?”

“We need to end it. We should reject each other.” Lynn doesn’t respond, and our eyes never leave each other’s.

“Why?”

“Well, I can’t mark Sonya until our bond is broken.”

“Why Sonya over me?” I knew that’s what she met, but I had hoped not.

“Sonya knows how to play the role. She has been raised around royals, and she knows what is and isn’t acceptable. Sonya is the ideal mate for my position.” Lynn scoffs.

“What position is that? Your older brother holds the Royal Gamma title, does he not? Where does that leave you?” Well, that’s a shitty thing to say. Her words actually hurt me, but I try to keep my expression neutral.

“I may not hold the Gamma title in the Royal court, but I’m still of Gamma blood. There are expectations of me, and I intend to rise to the occasion.” Lynn doesn’t respond, and we’re back in a staring contest. Lynn takes a step toward me.

“Spar with me. If you can pin me, I will accept your rejection without argument. If you fail, you’re stuck with me.” She can’t be serious. I’m a Gamma of royal blood. There’s no way she can win against me. I look at her, taking in her entire demeanor. There is no fear or uncertainty. She wants this, and I can see it. If she wants to embarrass herself like this, so be it.

“Fine, that works for me.”

~Lynn~

I watch him turn away from me and walk to the training area. My heart hurts; I can’t lie about that. It hurts so bad to hear that he wants to throw our bond away. You’d think I tried to kill his family or something. The animosity he shows me isn’t fair. I know I’m asking for embarrassment with this challenge, but I don’t care. I can’t let him go without a fight.

I trail behind him, watching him walk. His tight ass is twitching in his shorts, and his toned calves are tightening with each step. My mouth is going dry, and I can feel my body responding to him. This man is so fucking sexy. I want nothing more than to throw him down on the grass and ride his cock until I can’t move anymore. I’m sure he’s long and thick, just like his brother, them being identical and all. My mouth starts to water, imagining his thick cock and how it would feel against my tongue.

Baby, if you don’t stop, you may not make it to training.

Sorry. That’s the mate bond for you. I look up and see Vonte smirking at me. He has been my rock these past few days, and I’m grateful for it. So, your brother and I are going to spar, and I need you to stay out of it.

Baby,.....

Stay out of it, Vonte. He sighs through the bond and nods. I continue to walk and notice that people are leaving to go on their run. The crowd thins, leaving Devonte standing alone. He’s stretching and looking at me.

“I figure we can just get this over with. There’s no point in waiting for everyone else. It should be quick.” Oh, he’s fucking cocky! I kind of like that, but right now, it’s pissing me off. I start to stretch, never letting my eyes leave his. When I feel loose, I shake out my limbs. I get in a fighting stance, and a smile forms on my lips.

“I’m ready. Come at me.”